Tearing Down Unneccesary Barriers

A new blog for BT’s has made its appearance. It is an interesting read, and I wish the blog much success. The list of contributors is interesting (see the r.h. side coloumn of the blog) – three rabbis, plus Zelig, Rivka, Arye Leib, Mordechai, Melech, Meyer, Dovid and Chava. No Zekes, Rosemarys, Arthurs, Michaels, etc etc. The discussions show great concern about ….. conformity, and integrating into Haredi society.

First let me thank Paul for pointing out a mistake I made. When we started this week, I had a cheshbon (calculation) that we should all use our Hebrew names. I was wrong. It creates a barrier and I believe that integration is primarily concerned with tearing down unnecessary barriers. We want and need to eliminate the stifling barriers between Jews (and non-Jews). Please accept my apology for putting up a new one and please call me Mark (although I’d answer to Mordechai) as I attempt to dismantle it.

I do think it’s a misnomer to describe the world that many of us inhabit as Haredi, but I’ll try to post more about that later.

The reality is that everybody calls me Mark. There was a time many years ago when I considered using Mordechai and I talked it out with a Rebbi. It didn’t make sense for me at that time and I stayed with Mark. But I think it is great for people who do make the switch.

In this case I saw that the existence of only Hebrew names on the blog was creating a barrier and so some of us decided to use the names we normally go by.